Key of the Soul
by XxLaBellaNottexX
Summary: Charity Hunter moved to London to start her life as a shadowhunter. Leaving Idris was easy, but what she found in London was going to be the biggest challenge of her life and his name was William Herondale. M for smut in later chapters. OC/Will
1. The Arrival and Meetings

Charity Hunter is the ONLY character that belongs to me. All other characters belong to Cassandra Clare. In case anyone was curious, Charity Hunter bares a resemble to Emmy Rossum. She's the closest celebrity I could think of that looks like Charity. Charity wears her hair much like Emmy Rossum did in "Phantom of the Opera."

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Charity looked out of the window of the carriage as she bounced lightly over the uneven ground. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. She was leaving Idris, and starting her life in London. Her parents were a bit upset that she was leaving but they gave her all the love and support they could muster. Charity just needed some new scenery, besides there was something about the mundanes that fascinated her. Growing up, she didn't have what the mundanes had. Most of what the mundanes had and knew about where alien to Charity. She felt that if she was going to protect the mundanes from the things that hide under your bed, she'd have to learn just as much about her subjects as she knew about monsters and demons.

The carriage was driven by Henry Branwell, who was the husband of the woman, Charlotte, who gave permission to Charity to live at the Institute. Charity looked at the back of Henry, as he continued to manuever the carriage with little to no effort. "Mr. Branwell, when do you-"

"Henry." His voice was bright, like he was smiling as he correced Charity. "Please, call me Henry."

A smile played at Charity's lip as she nodded. "…Henry, when do you think we'll be arriving at the Institute?"

She heard Henry chuckle. He pulled the reins lightly to the left, telling the horses to move slightly to the left. "It shouldn't be much longer, Ms. Hunter."

Charity smirked. "Please, call me Charity."

Henry chuckled again and nodded. "From now on, I shall, Charity."

He paused for a moment before speaking again. This time his tone was a bit more concerned. "Are you nervous?"

To be honest, Charity was more excited than anything. She knew she could get along with anyone, so the occupants of the house didn't threaten her. She was more afraid of getting lost in London and not being able to find her way back to the Institute. "No, not at all. If all of the inhabitants of the London Institute are as nice as you, then I have nothing to fear."

Henry was one of the nicest people that Charity had the privilege of meeting. She was truly hoping that everyone at the Institute was as nice as him. Henry had begun telling her about some new ideas he had for inventions and some of the things he's already created. "It's called a Sensor. It detects demon energies. Makes it so much easier for us to find the buggers."

"I'd love to see your laboratory. I've always loved science and such. However, hunting demons is obviously my true passion."

Charity could see Henry smiling at her comment. His inventions seemed to make him very happy and extremely proud. Charity knew that his inventions would be used by all Shadowhunters some day, especially the sensor. What Shadowhunter wouldn't be able to benefit from that?

The other invention he mentioned was called the Phosphor. Henry explained that he hadn't perfected the Phosphor yet but the device was supposed to amplify witchlight. Charity had raised a brow at his explanation, wondering to herself how one could amplify witchlight. Witchlight was extremely bright as it is. Unless Henry wanted someone to burn their eyes of their socket. A snigger had escaped her lips when Henry told her that his invention caused more harm than good. "Even though it's supposed to amplify witchlight, it tends to cause…" He paused for a moment, searching for the right thing to say. "…other things to happen. Bad things."

Charity had placed a gloved hand to her lips to stiffle another small laugh. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later. Science takes patience, doesn't it? And great things take time, do they not?"

Henry shrugged. "I suppose you're right."

The carriage came to a stop a few minutes later. Charity peered out of the window and saw through the glamour. She smiled up at the Institute. It was breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. Normally, Charity would have opened the door to the carriage herself but Henry had beaten her to it. She looked at his outstretched hand and gently took it in hers. Like the gentlemen that he was, he lead her out of the carriage. She stood looking up at the Institute for a moment, as Henry fussed with her luggage.

Charity wore an red artistic dress which consisted of a tight corset, a hoop skirt and bustle. The dress was also draped in lavish ornamenatation. Her hair was pulled back at the sides and worn high with many ringlets. On the very top of her head, she wore a small red head with a little white veil. Most people would think she was going some place fancy but she didn't care. Charity wanted to look as beautiful and sophiscated as she could. This was London afterall.

"Everything you expected Charity?" Henry stood behind her, with one hand in his pocket.

A sweet smile appeared on Charity's face. "And more, Henry."

XoXoX

Henry had taken all of her luggage up to her new bedroom as Charity met with Charlotte. Charlotte was just as nice as Henry. Charity began to walk with Charlotte as they headed to her new room. Every once in awhile Charlotte would stop and tell her a few fun facts about the Institute. She also pointed out where everythin was. Charity knew it was going to take her awhile to get used to where everything was, just because of the size of the Institute. Her home back in Idris was a mere five rooms; the kitchen, living area, her bedroom, her parents room and the bathroom. The Institute seemed like a palace right now.

They stopped at her bedroom door. Charlotte gave her a sweet smile. "You'll meet the rest of the clan at dinner I'm sure. They're all scattered about the Institute, so instead of finding them all, I'll let you get settled. Dinner is in an hour. "

"Thank you Charlotte. I'm looking forward to it."

Charlotte walked away, her heels clicking on the floor of the hall. Charity looked around her room, it was safe to say that it was a lot bigger than she was used to. It held a four post bed with dark red drapes with black outlines. The top blanket of the bed looked to bed a dark red satin. In one corner of the room stood a lovely dark wood wardrobe with very intricate designs on it. She placed a hand onto it, feeling the carving wood. Not far from the wardrobe was a vanity with three mirrors and a darling little seat. It wasn't overly extravagent but to Charity, it was more than enough.

With a raised brow, Charity wondered to herself if they had showed her the right room. There was no way she was privileged to have a room this size. People with rooms this size either had money, worked to get a room like this or a little of both. "I assure you, you're in the right place."

A voice sound behind her, which caused Charity to jumped a little. She turned around suddenly to see a blonde girl standing in her doorway, in her hands a lovely parasol. "I'm Jessamine, by the way."

Charity smiled politely at her then gave her a curtsey. "Charity Hunter, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Jessamine gave her a once over and smiled brightly. "I absolutely love that outfit. Where did you buy it? Is your family rich?"

Charity looked confused for a second then spoke. "Oh, actually my mother made it. She likes to sew and whatnot. I just told her what look I was going for and she created this. And no, we're not rich. We actually have a very small home in Idris."

Jessamine stepped into the room and moved over to Charity. Her face became suddenly blank, her motions were flawless, effortless. It was like she glided across the floor. She walked around Charity, looking her up and down, occasionally nodding an approval. "I usually buy all my dresses, from the best dress makers in London, but this doesn't look half bad. At least it doesn't look like its made by a peasant. "

Charity tilted her head to the side and shrugged. Hadn't Jessamine just stated that she loved the dress and now she only thinks its not half bad? Why, because Charity wasn't rich? Charity wasn't going to start a quarrel with the girl since she just arrived. There was no need to step on toes just yet. As Charity thought about Jessamine's comment, Jessamine took it upon herself to walk around the rest of the room, looking at everything. She mumbled something about taking Charity out to buy nice, expensive things. She turned to look at the luggage that lay next to Charity's door and frowned a little. When she spoke, her tone was a little harsh and filled with slight annoyance. "Would you like some help putting your stuff away?"

It wasn't so much a nice gesture as it was to see what Charity had brought with her. Jessamine just needed to know if there was going to be another female in the building that shared her love of beautiful items and clothing. She knew that Charity wasn't rich but that didn't mean that Charity's mother hadn't made her more beautiful dresses, which is exactly what she did. It was obvious that Jessamine liked expensive things. Also, from what Jessamine was muttering under her breath, Charity was under the impression that she was uppity and clearly full of herself. Typical rich girl syndrome, as Charity called it.

Jessamine left a few minutes later, not before warning Charity of the servants in the Institute. Her blatant dislike of them sort of annoyed Charity. The servants were normal people and should have been treated with some respect in her eyes. She never fully understood why rich people felt the need to treat 'commoners' like they were trash. However, Charity just nodded at Jessamine and returned to her room to unpack her belongings.

Charity hadn't brought much, just some clothing, which she hung neatly in the wardrobe. Among some of her possessions was a music box that her mother had given her when she was about 13. It wasn't anything too fancy. It had a nice decoration on the front and on the inside was a glass covering so that you were able to see the mechanics of the device. There was also a small decorative card on the under side of the lid. Charity always loved listening to the music as she laid down to sleep.

Charity took out a small clock from her luggage and placed it onto the small table that was beside her bed. Charlotte had told her that dinner would be in an hour. Charity had 5 minutes to find the dining room. She had hoped that she would be able to change but she didn't have the time. She rushed out of her room and tried to remember the exact path that Charlotte and her had taken an hour earlier. "Oh…"

Charity stopped in the middle of a long hallway and suddenly felt like she was in a labryinth. She was completely lost and there was obviously no one around to help her. She turned on her heel and dashed back down the hall, taking another turn, hoping to go back the way she had came. That's when it happened. 

BAM!

Charity flew backwards and landed on her bottom. She winced as she looked up at and met the silver eyes of a young man. He looked to be about her age. She tried to hury herself and stand up to apologize but the boy merely extended her hand to her and apologized himself. "I'm sorry, are you all right?"

Charity took his hand and stood up. Quickly, she brushed herself off as she felt her cheeks flush. "Don't be sorry. It was my fault, I shouldn't have been running but I figured I'd be late to dinner and I have no idea where I am."

The young man stared at her as a smile formed on his face. Charity noted the angular structure of his face and the slight curve of his eyes. His hair was the same oddly bright silver as his eyes. His skin was like porcelian. Now, Charity was really embarassed. She had just ran into a rather attractive young man, who was being more than polite to her. "Don't worry about it. When you're new here, this place is very overwhelming, I would know."

The boy introduced himself as James Carstairs. He gave her a little bit of his history at they walked to the dining room. Apparently, he was originally from Shanghai, China. His father was of English descent, while his mother was Chinese. He told Charity all about the Institute in China and how his parents used to run it. James also told her that his parents had been murdered and not wanting to press the memory any farther, Charity remained silent. "By the way, feel free to call me 'Jem'. Everyone else does."

"Just Charity for me."

Jem gave her another smile as they reached the dining hall. He motioned for her to go. Charlotte and Jessamine were already at the table. Henry was probably poking around in his lab still. It seemed that everyone was there, except for another chair was that empty. Charity shrugged it off, not really thinking anything of it. It was probably just an extra chair.

That was when Charlotte spoke up. "Will should be here soon. He went galvanting around London again."

Her voice held some disappointment and annoyance. Charity turned her head to look at Jem, who merely shrugged. Charity couldn't help but wonder who this Will person was and what his story was. Charity knew that Shadowhunters weren't allowed to kill anything until they were 18. Was Will 18? Maybe he was older than that? Charity didn't really care. So far, she had met people she liked, even if Jessamine wasn't entirely her cup of tea.

One of the servants, Sophie, served them their dinner. Before she left, Jessamine had begun to whisper in her ear. They looked like she was giving the poor girl some harsh words, but Charity knew it wasn't her place to pry. At least not yet. Not until she felt established enough within the Institute to stand up and say something.

A few moments later, a slightly disheveled young man came in, and ploppe down into a seat. He swayed slightly and gave Charlotte a grin. Charlotte tutted and tried to ignore him. He turned to Jem and smiled. "So, who do we have here?"

Charity was busy spooning some more soup into her mouth when the boy, who she figured was Will, spoke up. Jem chuckled lightly before speaking. "Her name is Charity, Will. Charity Hunter."

Will stared at her, with his piercing blue eyes for a moment then let out a loud laugh. "Hunter, huh? That's pretty clever, since you're a Shadowhunter. I guess it's safe to say your family are a bunch of hunters."

Charity stared at him, with slightly narrowed eyes. Was he drunk? She breathed in through her nose and the scent of hard liquor hit her. He was definitely drunk. He looked to be about her age, the same as Jem and Jessamine. Will stared at her for a minute more before leaning back in his chair. He glanced down at his meal and made a face. It was probably wise for him not to eat. No one wanted to watch him get sick. But that's the price you pay for being foolish.

"So, William, where were you all night?" It was Charlotte that spoke. She peered up at Will, disapproval etched all over her face.

"Eh, the usual. Gambling, drinking. I met some girl. You know the ones I like. No morals." He smirked at Charlotte then turned his attention back to Charity. "Do you have morals?"

"William!" Charlotte slammed her spoon down onto the table and glared him. She looked as if she wanted to reach across the large table and smack the smart ass right out of him. Charity pursed her lips together. At that moment, she didn't care about stepping on his toes. Will attitude and personality completely overshadowed his good looks. Nothing was more annoying than a man who thought he was God's gift to the world.

"Actually, I do have morals. I'm not some sort of street walker that wants to spend the night with some drunk for some coin."

Will faked looking hurt. "Ouch."

Charity rolled her eyes and continued with her meal. She didn't have time for boys and their stupid games right now. She was focused on finishing her dinner, getting settled then dealing with the rest of her training.

Once dinner was finished, Charity retired to her room for the night. After the small fight with Will, she decided it was best to calm herself and get ready for bed. She sat on the small seat on her vanity and stared at herself in the mirror. She began to undo her hair. It always felt so good when she took away all the pins and just let her hair flow down to her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, letting her hair gently sweep across her back.

A knock came at her door, as she was lost in her trance. Opening her eyes, she stood and made her way to the door. It was Jem. He gave her a polite smile and apologized for disturbing her. "I just wanted to also apologize for Will's behavior. As you can tell, he likes to indulge in gambling and alcohol-"

Charity interrupted him before he could go any farther. "And loose women. I'm sorry to say but you're friend is an utter diaster. You should keep him in line. You seem to know right from wrong."

Jem couldn't but laugh at that. He knew that Will's charms usually worked on any woman but Charity was clearly different. She wasn't goin to let his charms and good looks get the best of her. She was a smart girl, maybe too smart for Will to compete with. "Yes, I supposed you're right. Well, anyway, I wanted to apologize on behalf of him. He's not in his right mind just yet."

"Thank you for the apology but it shouldn't be you apologizing. I'd like to hear it from him." Charity crossed her arms over her chest. The look she gave Jem told him that she meant business. She wasn't going to take crap from some little bum who wanted to get knockered every night.

"I'll make sure I pass the word onto him." Charity nodded and bade him goodnight before closing the door. She went back to her vanity and continued getting ready for bed.

She spoke softly to herself. "Hell will freeze over before that boy gets any sort of sense. And if it's one thing I can't stand, it's men with no sense… and loose women."


	2. Shax Demons

A/N: Please please please review. It's much appreciated. Again, Charity belongs to me. All other characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

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The next morning was pretty quiet. Charity woke up with the sun shining brightly on her face. She turned over to see Sophie bustling around in the bathroom. She turned when she heard Charity move in her bed. "I'm sorry, miss, I was just getting your bath ready. Jessamine asked me to have you ready by noon. I suppose she wants to take you for a clothing and such."  
>Charity sighed as she moved off the bed and over to the vanity. She had just arrived yesterday and she didn't quite feel like exploring London just yet. Charity needed some time to adjust to the Institute. "Sophie, can you please tell her that we'll go some other time? I really need to figure out this place before I step a foot out of it."<p>

Sophie's face grew into a worried look. Jessamine wasn't going to like being blown off, especially by the newcomer. Sophie really had no choice but to obey Charity's demands. Charity looked at her and sighed again. "I'm sorry; I just can't leave right now. I got lost just going to the dining hall last night."

"I understand, miss." Sophie gave Charity a small curtsey then quickly explained her bath was ready if she still wanted to use it. Charity smiled sweetly at her and nodded.

She opened up the bathroom door and steam billowed out of it. The heat felt good on Charity's face. She knew it would only feel better once she stepped into the hot bath. Charity closed the door behind her and let her nightgown fall to the ground. She dipped her foot into the hot water and sighed happily. Shivers went sent up her spine. She always did love a good, hot bath. There was something so relaxing about sitting in a tub filled with hot water and not caring about anything or anyone in the world.

Charity was in that tub for about an hour. Sophie must have told Jessamine by now and thankfully Jessamine hadn't tried to break down the door of the bathroom to yell at her. Charity stood up, sloshing water over the side of the tub. Stepping out, she realized she had left her towel on her bed. With a roll of her eyes and a heavy sigh, she moved to the door and placed her hand onto the handle. She turned it and opened the door. Almost immediately she wished she'd just stayed in the tub.

Standing at the doorway, ready to knock was none other than Will. His fist was raised in the air, his face now blank as he stared at Charity's naked figure. With a gasp, she quickly slammed the door in his face. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She knew that the prat on the other side must have been smirking by now and her assumptions seemed to come true when she heard him speak. His voice sounding as if he were smiling. "Well hello to you to, Cherry."

Cherry? What in the hell? Was he drunk again? Charity folded her arms across her chest and glared at the door. She really had to restrain herself from yelling at him. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke as calmly as she possibly could. "Go get the towel on my bed, please."

Will turned around and spotted the towel. He began to walk over to it, when a thought hit him. He stopped midway and spoke loudly, so poor Charity could hear him. "What do I get out of it? I mean, you never did tell me if you had morals."

Charity narrowed her eyes, wishing that she could slap him in the face. "Shut up, and give it to me!"

Will couldn't help himself, he smirked. "Give what to you? Does that mean you have no morals?"

"GIVE ME THE DAMN TOWEL!"

Will roared with laughter as he continued his walk to her bed to retrieve the towel. Once it was in his possession, he walked back over to the door and knocked once. "I have your towel."

Charity slightly opened the door, just sticking her arm out, her hand open. Will was going to toy with her some more but he realized that he already owned her one apology. He didn't feel like apologizing for anything else. As a matter of fact, he didn't even want to apologize for last night. If it wasn't for Jem hounding him, he wouldn't even have bothered Charity. Really, it was her fault for making such a fuss.

He handed her the towel then stood back with his arms folded across his chest. Charity quickly wrapped herself up and opened the door. The look on her face could probably kill a man. "What do you want?"

Will held both of his hands up and backed away. "I just wanted to apologize for my actions last night. I was rather unruly. It could have been the whiskey or it could have been the opium haze. I'm not sure which."

Charity rolled her eyes again and pushed past him. She knew it wasn't very ladylike to tramp around with just a towel wrapped around her body but she had no choice. She walked to her wardrobe and flung open the door. Much like the one she had worn last night, Charity grabbed a blue artistic dress. The corset on this one however, just fit around her waist, causing her breasts to rest on top of the corset. It actually made her bust look quite large, not that they weren't large enough as it was.

She stomped back into the bathroom and slammed the door. Charity got the bustle and the rest of the dress on with no problem. It wasn't until she needed to tie up her corset that she realized she had a problem. She let out a heavy sigh. Will was going to have to tie up the corset and thankfully, he wasn't going to be able to see anything. Charity's dress covered her breasts, so all Will would be seeing it the blue fabric.

She opened up the door and turned her back to him. "Can you help me, please? I need you to tie up my corset."

Will stared at her for a moment with a smirk on his face. He looked at her frame and noted her curvy hips and tiny waist. He had already noticed her large bust, even in his drunken stupor the night before. He took a step closer to her and took the strings in his hands. He pulled them as tight as he could. It was a little alarming to him when she slightly bent over and braced herself against the door. "Are you all right? Is it too tight?"

Charity straightened up and turned to him. There was a small smile on her face. "No, it's fine. I just didn't want to fall over and land flat on my face. Having you see me naked is enough embarrassment for me for the rest of the year."  
>Will chuckled. "Don't be so ashamed. You're a beautiful girl."<p>

Charity tilted her head to the side and smiled a bit wider at him. "Thank you, Will. That's very sweet."

Will nodded at her as she watched her move to her vanity and sit down. Charity had begun to put some makeup on. Will pursed his lip together. "You know, you look like Jessamine when you put that crap on."

"Well, it makes me feel pretty, that's all." She really didn't want anyone thinking she looked or acted like Jessamine. She was nothing like that girl. Jessamine was rude and full of herself. Charity thought of others, stood up for what she believed in and was a very sweet person, most of the time.

Will walked over the wall next to the vanity and leaned up against it. He looked down at Charity as she put her red lipstick onto her lips. "I don't think I'll fully understand women. I mean, you wear those god awful corsets so tight that you can hardly breathe. They must be terribly uncomfortable."

Charity couldn't lie. They were very difficult to breathe in but pain was beauty, right? To be honest, as painful as they were, she liked wearing them. There was something so sexy about them. She liked flaunting her beauty and her large assets. Charity only pretended that she didn't notice Will staring at her chest and the rest of figure.

"So hey, we're going to walk 'round London today. Would you like to come with us?"

Charity raised a brow and looked up at him. Did he mean Jessamine? If so, then her answer was definitely going to be 'no.' "With whom?"

"Jem, of course." Well, that was a relief. She had already informed Sophie to tell Jessamine that she didn't want to go out and it was true. She really didn't want to. However, Charity liked Jem. He seemed so sweet. Will, on the other hand, she was going to have to get used to, even if he was extremely irritating and childish.

"I guess, I mean, I told Jessamine I didn't want to go out but maybe I will."

Will cocked his head to the side. "How come you didn't want to go out with her? Don't like her?"

Charity could feel heat creeping into her cheeks and quickly tried to defuse them. "No, no, it's not that. It's just-"  
>"I don't care if you don't like Jessamine. I don't like her most of the time either. I was just wondering, because if you don't then that's just one more thing we have in common." He pushed off the wall and walked over to her door. Charity's eyes followed him. He turned his head and called over his shoulder as he stepped into the hallway. "Be downstairs in 10 minutes, we'll leave then."<p>

XoXoX

As Charity walked through the halls, looking for a way downstairs, she kept thinking of what Will had said to her. '…That's one more thing we have in common.' What did they exactly have in common? Besides being Shadow hunters and not exactly liking Jessamine?

After what seemed like hours, Charity finally reached the front doors. She met the blue and silver eyes of the two boys. Will looked none too thrilled. "Where have you been?"

"I got lost…sorry." Charity rolled her eyes and placed a hand onto her hip. Jem gave her a smile and small wave. Will sighed, nodded and motioned for her to come on.

"You'll get used to the Institute sooner or later."

Charity huffed as she followed closely behind Will. "Well, I'd rather it be sooner."

Jem was walking next to Will. He turned his head to. Look at Charity. His expression was bright. "We can always show you around after we give you the tour of London. You're going to need it."

Charity nodded at him, still following closely behind the boys. Will reached back and took her by the arm. Dragging her closer to him, he smirked. "What? Afraid to walk with two of the most handsome men in London?"

Charity snorted at Will's comment. God, he was so cocky. Charity wanted to smack him, and it seemed that she was going to want to smack him until she left the Institute, if she ever decided to leave. As Charity was caught in her thoughts, Will had been staring down at her, a smirk ever present on his face. "Well?"

"You're a prat." Charity's eyes were narrowed but she didn't look at Will. She just looked straight ahead at the people and carriages that were walking the streets of London.

Jem and Will burst out with laughter. Jem looked over at Charity and completely agreed with her. He said that no matter how good of friends Will and he were, Will was always going to be an arrogant jerk. Will lightly jabbed him in the side and tried to defend himself. "No, I'm really not," He tried to say through laughter.

Charity knew what he was. He thought he was the greatest thing put on this earth. His good looks and charms could probably sweep any girl off her feet but Charity wasn't going to let herself fall for that. Even though, she did have to admit she liked to look at him. Who wouldn't? He was gorgeous. Of course, Jem wasn't bad looking either. When Charity decided to leave for London, she never expected to live with two extremely good looking guys. Hell, even Henry had potential for a married man.

As they walked the streets of London, Charity couldn't help but look at everything with awe. Some of it wasn't what she expected at all and some of it was exactly what she'd expected. The streets were filled with people, some of which who looked like beggars. Charity, for a moment, thought she was most dressed up person out that day. Until they moved into the 'richer' side of London and immediately Charity felt overwhelmed.

She stayed pretty quiet as the boys talked amongst themselves. Will turned to her and nudged her gently. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just looking at everything. Not really paying attention."

Will suddenly stopped and stuck his arms out, causing Jem and Charity to stop. Jem was the one to speak up. "What's wrong?"

"Over there…shax demons." Will's face brightened up. Charity sighed heavily. She knew they weren't allowed to really fight and besides that, she didn't have any weapons on her. This was just perfect. What in the hell was she going to do now? Before she could open her mouth to speak, Will dashed off down a deserted alleyway to follow the demons. Jem was on his heels. For a moment, Charity wasn't sure what she should do. She could have just stayed there and waited for them or she could have joined them, even though she wouldn't have been much help. After a few seconds, she figured she'd just follow the boys.

The heels of her shoes clicked against the ground, as ran to keep up with the boys. It was very difficult trying to run in a dress that was clearly made for social events, and not fighting. She arrived on the scene, with Jem and Will fighting the demons, with little to no effort. Or at least, that's how it looked to Charity. The boys looked unstoppable.

Will thrust his knife into one of them and down it went. He looked up and saw Charity. He gave her a puzzled look before another demon jumped at him. Jem was on it, he threw a knife at it. Landing in its back, the demon wailed loudly before falling over and perishing.

Charity stepped farther into the alley clearing once the entire ruckus ended. Will straightened up, dirt and blood covering his face. Jem turned his head and coughed. Charity could see the filth that also stained Jem's face. "I'm sorry."

She bit her bottom lip nervously. "I didn't have any weapons and without them, I wouldn't have been much help."

Will was breathing heavy when he spoke. He smirked a little at Charity. "It's fine. You let me and Jem have all the fun anyways."

Charity stepped closer to the boys and before she could stop herself, she took Will's chin in her palm and turned his head. She stared at a slash on his face and frowned. "We'll have to clean that up when we get back. You two could have really gotten hurt."

Will shrugged before gently taking Charity's wrist in his hand. He pulled her hand away from his chin and smiled. "We'll live. Don't worry."

Jem watched the two, a smirk forming on his face. He watched as Charity and Will stared at each other in silence for a moment. Jem wanted to hold it back but he couldn't. He let out a cough. Jem held up his hands once he saw that Will's concentration was broken and he looked over at his friend with concern. "Sorry, just an itch."

Will made a face at Jem, silently saying that he knew he was lying. "We should go back to the Institute."

Jem and Charity both agreed. It took them about an hour to get back to the Institute. The whole way back, Will gloated about his victory against the shax demons. For a short time, Charity actually thought that he was some conceited but yet, here he was, talking about how amazing he was in battle. Charity didn't even know how many times she had rolled her eyes during his anecdote. She was happy when they finally reached the Institute and she was able to retire to her bedroom before dinner.

Dinner was no picnic either. Jessamine sat across from Charity and glared at her. Charlotte looked between the girls, noticing that Charity didn't even notice Jessamine's harsh look. Henry had made his way up to dinner and sat next to his wife. He also noticed Jessamine's look, as did Jem and Will. Will broke the silence, with a devilish smirk on his face. "So did you have fun today, Charity?"

Charity looked up from her bowl. She looked confused at first then nodded. "Oh, yes. I did. Thank you."

Jessamine looked from Will back to Charity and cocked her head slightly to the side. She narrowed her eyes. "So you can go out with the likes of them but you won't go out with me?"

Charity shuffled uncomfortably in her chair and bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to but-"

"But we forced her to. Tied her up and everything. She really had no choice." Will sat back in his chair and smirked at Jessamine, who gave him another none too happy look. Charity just stared at Will and Jessamine, hoping that Jessamine wouldn't toss a fork at him.

Charlotte perched up and stared at Will. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him, as if she was examining him. Of course, Will had 'taken care' of the slash on his face, but it was obviously still very noticeable. "William, what happened to your face?"

Will looked at her with a surprised look and smiled devilishly. "Oh this little thing? Shax demon in an alleyway today."

Charlotte angrily put her fork down onto her plate and shook her head. "You know you aren't supposed to-"

Will held a hand up before she could finish and cut her off. "Yeah, I know. But I had an itch, needed to be scratched."

Charlotte rolled her eyes then resumed eating her dinner. Charity hoped that every dinner wasn't going to end up like this, with everyone mad at each other. Or anything else. Of course, Will Herondale was going to make that more than difficult.

XoXoX

Charity sat on her bed and stretched. It had been a long day and she needed a good night's sleep. She lay down on her bed and snuggled under the covers. She reached over to the night stand, snuffed out her candle and opened up the music box. She let the music flow into her ears and in minutes she was sound asleep.

Charity wasn't sure how long she was asleep but something had woke her up. She laid there stiff as a board, because she felt something lying next to her. That was impossible though, wasn't it? This was the Institute. Only shadow hunters were allowed to dwell here. Werewolves, vampires, faire folk, nothing was allowed to step into the Institute. So what the hell was next to her? Whatever it was was incredibly close to her body. It draped something over her and was touching her chest.  
>She slowly slid off the bed and tried to light her candle as fast as she could. Whatever was in here with her was not welcome. That was for damn sure. She struck a match and lit the candle. She narrowed her eyes when she saw what, or rather who it was. "What are you doing in here?"<p>

Will shot up in her bed and looked around him. "Oh hell, I thought this was my room."

Charity continued to glare at him. Was he serious? He had lived at the Institute for so long and he couldn't find his way back to his room? Bull. She watched him as he rolled off her bed. The only thing he wore was pants. Not pajama pants but dress pants. The sort of pants you would wear when you went out. Charity frowned, realizing that he was probably drunk again.

Her suspicions were deemed true when Will stumbled over to the other side of her bed. The poor lad almost fell into her. Charity took his arm and slung it around her neck as she helped him to the door. She questioned whether or not to help him to his room. Then again, she wasn't even sure where it was. The last thing she needed was for Will to direct her to Jessamine's bedroom, or even Sophie's.

After a moment, Will asked her to bring him to his room. She was still hesitant but obeyed his wishes. He was going to need the rest anyways and there was no way he was staying in her room. "Will, you need to stop this. I've only been here two days and can see that you have a problem."

He snorted. "A problem? I indulge, that's all."

Charity held onto him tightly as they made their way to his bedroom. He yammered on about gambling and girls. All the things Charity didn't care to hear about, which she stated to him. "I really don't understand your ethics."

"When you're an orphan, you don't have ethics. You have no reason to."

So that was it. Will was an orphan. Charity frowned again. Now she felt bad for him. No wonder he acted like he did, he had no real family to call his own. Without a real father figure, who was he going to look to? Of course, there was Henry but it seemed like Will wasn't all that interested in what Henry did. Besides, Charity really couldn't see Will working in a laboratory. Will liked to fight. He liked the adrenaline. He liked the glory. It seemed like Will was going to need some work and new morals.

They reached Will's room and Charity helped him into his bed. "Good night, Will."

Will turned his head and watched her leave. The candle on his nightstand flickered. He watched the flame dance and sighed before blowing it out.


	3. Not Like This

**A/N: This chapter is a bit lengthy! I was on quite a kick and just couldn't stop writing. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review! Oh and just because I was in such a hurry to get this chapter out, I haven't re-read it. So if theres a problem, let me know and I'll take care of it!-**

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Quite a few months had passed since Charity's arrival at the Institute and she was glad to say that she finally knew her way around the place. Will had taken it upon himself to show her the ropes, even train her a bit. To be honest, she didn't like Will's training. She preferred Jem or Charlotte training with her.

Her favorite spot in the Institute was the library. Charity loved to sit in a nice chaise lounge and read to her heart's content. Sometimes she would even bring books back to her room and enjoy them in a nice hot bath. Will once had sat with her and actually read a book. Charity wasn't sure if he was forcing himself to do it, or if he actually enjoyed reading. Who knows, maybe he just wanted to be next to her.

Charity actually found it a bit odd, that Will was hanging around her more and more. Usually, he came up to her room and just let himself in, probably hoping to catch her naked again or something. Most nights Charity sat over by the window and looked out onto the streets of London, like tonight. She watched the flame in the lamps dance as people moved through the streets, either making their way home or making their way to the night time entertainment London had to offer. Everyone in awhile Charity would see a prostitute standing on the corner, waiting for a 'John.' She always rolled her eyes at those girls. They had no self respect whatsoever.

Charity's thoughts were broken when she heard voices out in the hallway. One voice she heard was Charlotte; the other voice belonged to Will. It sounded as if he was telling Charlotte about his latest victory. That's when Charity caught wind of something else. "Well, they were using her to conjure up the dead, it seems. I mean, she can change into someone who's already passed on. It's quite bizarre, but then again what in our world isn't bizarre."

She removed herself from the window and walked to her door. She tried to get there as quickly as possible but the voices and their owners were moving much more quickly than she was. She reached the door and pulled it open, but alas, they had already turned the corner. With a shrug, Charity walked out of her room and followed the faint voices of Charlotte and Will. Turning the corner, she saw them walking not too far ahead of her. "Will…Charlotte, wait up!"

Charity trotted up to them. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Will looked extremely flustered and Charlotte just looked worried. Charity bit her bottom lip as she walked with them to their unknown destination. Will sighed heavily before speaking. "Well long story short, you know about the little outing I went on today. Turns out I found this girl locked in that house. Brother Enoch is watching over her right now. Just to make sure she's alright."

Charity raised a brow, but said nothing. Will had just found some random girl in some random villain's house? Why in the hell did he bring her back to the Institute then? Charity couldn't lie to herself that she was a bit annoyed by this. Why she was annoyed, she really didn't know. She had no reason or right to be annoyed. Will had just saved the life of someone. That was what Shadowhunters were supposed to do.

Charity just continued to follow Charlotte and Will into the room. She saw Brother Enoch standing over the girl. The Silent Brothers never really bothered Charity. She knew their story and knew what they were about. She watched silently as he worked. Will turned to her and put his lips to his ear. "Why don't we leave? When she wakes up, she's going to be very surprised."

Before she could even respond, Will take her by the hand and lead her out of the room. He stopped halfway down the hall and released a long sigh. Charity gently placed a hand onto his back and rubbed. He hung his head for a moment then looked up and smiled. "I'm exhausted. Mind if I hop back into bed with you?"

Charity pursed her lips together and was ready to smack him on the back. However, his comment did make her smile a bit. "What was that all about, by the way?"

"Eh, I was a little out of it. I just thought that I had walked into my room. I must say though, I wasn't upset when I thought you were sleeping in my bed."

"Ugh, Will!" Charity rolled her eyes and stomped off in the direction of the library. She crossed her arms over her chest; an annoyed was now on her face. Was that all Will ever thought about, loose women and other immoral things? She heard Will laughing behind her. His footfalls were now heavy behind her and he was at her sides within a few seconds. He tried snaking his hand under her crossed arms, but he failed.

"Aw come on, Cherry. Don't be like that. I'm only kidding. Apparently, you have morals and you know how I feel about those." Charity suddenly stopped, causing Will to walk a few steps ahead of her. He turned around and looked at her, confusion written on his face.

"You know what Will? You really need to grow up."

"I'm just having a bit of fun with you. Relax." Will cocked his head to the side for a moment and smiled. Charity knew that he was just teasing her but that didn't mean she had to like it. He was seriously frustrating at times. Well, more like all of the time. Charity often wondered if he was ever going to grow up and if he was going to be cursed with immaturity for the rest of his life.

"Whatever, William." She brushed past him and continued her trek into the library. She felt Will's eye on her as she walked away. As much as she wanted to look back, she knew that she couldn't. With all the will power she had, she kept her head forward.

"…Charity…" Will's voice was a little desperate and sad. He knew that he completely messed up. Will felt bad but he was only joking with her. Sometimes he wondered if Charity could take a joke or if there was something more. Watching her walk away, bothered him a bit but right now, he couldn't let it bother him that much. He turned on his heel and went in the direction of the new girl's room.

XoXoX

She moved through the shelves of books, looking for one that might strike her fancy. She looked up at a rather old looking book on one of the shelves. Since it was so high, Charity had to stand on her tip toes to grab it. Even on her tiptoes though, she couldn't reach it. As she stood there and glared up at the book, she felt another presence in the room. An arm reached up, grabbing the book from its spot on the shelf. "Here. I saw you eyeing it."

It was Will. With a heavy sigh, Charity took the book from his hand. She refused to turn around and face him though. She stood there for a moment, looking down at the cover of the book. Charity's voice was low. "Thank you."

Will's eyes scanned the back of her hand. He already knew she was highly annoyed with him and maybe meeting her in the library wasn't the smartest move.

"Why did you follow me?" Charity still hadn't turned around. Honestly, she had moved a muscle. She was very statuesque. Her annoyance level had subsided but she was still angry with Will. She just wished for five minutes, he could act like an adult.

Will dropped his head and took a step closer to her. "I just wanted to apologize. I know I'm a bit much at times. I was only funning with you, Charity."

Charity. He had actually used her name and not that ridiculous nickname he had been calling her. It was nice to hear her real name come out of his mouth. The way her name rolled off his tongue was rather beautiful.

She turned to him and smiled a bit. Her eyes searched his face and saw that his expression was rather sad and apologetic. "Will, it's all right to have fun and tease me every once in awhile. However, this whole thing about my morals is quite ridiculous."

She smirked a little when his expression changed to confusion. "You know nothing about my morals, William. However, if you took the time to find out, you'd probably learn that I'm not that innocent."

Will's brows quirked upwards. "I doubt you've done anything terrible, Cherry."

So much for continuing to use her actual name. Charity laughed and placed a hand onto the back of Will's neck. She drew him down to her level and pressed her lips to his. For a fraction of a second, Charity saw that he didn't know what to do. However, Will let himself relax and kissed her back with a bit more intensity. She broke away from the single kiss and placed a finger to his lips. "See? Not so innocent. Get to know who I actually am Will. With that said, that's the only kiss you'll be getting out of me. I don't fraternize with boys like you. You're way too rough around the edges. It would take me ages to buff you out."

A grin grew on Will's face as Charity walked over to a rather comfy chair and took a seat. She opened up the book and began to read. Will just stared at her. Maybe she really wasn't as innocent as she looked. She was right. Will was more concerned about doing his own thing than trying to get to actually know her. Most of what he found out about her was from Jem. Jem liked spending his free time speaking with Charity. Only because Charity loved the infernal screeching of Jem's violin. Even with the stories that Jem had shared with Will, Will still didn't know enough about Charity.

Charity hadn't looked up from her book and not wanting to disturb her anymore, Will took his leave. He figured he'd go and visit Tessa, the girl that he had saved from the Dark Sisters. The poor must have been so confused and scared. Having one of the Silent Brothers watch over you was extremely stressful for a Shadowhunter; Will could only imagine how a non-Shadowhunter felt.

Will walked into her room and took a seat next to her bed. Tessa turned to him and thanked him for helping her escape the clutches of the Dark Sisters. "It was my pleasure. So how are you?"

"I'm well. I want to find my brother though. I just know that he's in danger." Will tried to reassure her that everything would be fine and that they would find her brother. Tessa seemed to calm her nerves a bit, but not a whole lot. She knew her brother was out there something and he was more than likely in severe danger.

XoXoX

Charity flipped through the pages of her book pretty quickly. She was lost in her world of fantasy and dreams, until she heard the doors of the library open. She glanced up from her book and didn't see anyone. Perhaps it was Church coming in to explore, since the doors to the library weren't all that heavy and hard to move. Without another thought, she buried her head back into her book.

This particular book was about the immense love that a man had for a woman. How he'd risk anything to be with her and risk it all not to lose her. It was a very romantic story. She wondered for a second if Will would be caught dead reading something as sappy as that. It made her let out a small chuckle. Of course Will wouldn't read anything like that. He was far too manly. And why in the hell was she thinking about Will? She needed to stop doing that.

In the middle of her fantasies, Charity heard a loud bang that made her jump. Highly irritated, she placed the book down on the arm of the chair and stood up. She was going to investigate what that the hell that sound was and who was making it. It was probably Will being an immature ass again, she was sure of it. And if it wasn't Will then it was Charlotte or Henry. Charity knew that Jem was able to reach books high off the shelf. Charlotte sometimes couldn't reach and Henry was just clumsy sometimes.

Charity walked towards the sound. The library was so vast, it was almost impossible to find out exactly where the sound came, but then the bang happened again. This time, along with the bang, Charity heard an unfamiliar female voice. It must have been the girl Will had saved. Rounding the corner, Charity almost walked right into her. "Are you all right?"

The girl looked up and smiled feebly at Charity. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just having some trouble is all."

"Hm. Trying to a get a book?" Charity picked up the two books that had fallen and handed them to the girl. She nodded and thanked her.

"I'm Theresa Gray, by the way. But you can call me Tessa."

Normally, Charity didn't mind being around other girls but something about this particular one put her off a bit. "Charity Hunter. Pleasure."

She tried to sound as nice as she could but she knew that there was still an undertone of hostility in her voice. Tessa just continued to smile at her, probably not sure what to do. "So you're a shadowhunter as well?"

Was this girl serious? "Yes, I am. Are … you?"

Tessa shuffled uncomfortably for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Just human. I was taken hostage by the Dark Sisters and thankfully Will saved me."

Yes, thankfully. Charity nodded at her. She really wanted to turn on her heel and walk away but she knew that was overly rude. What was it with this girl that irritated her so much? Was it because she was human staying at a shadowhunter sanctuary? No, that couldn't be it.

That's when it dawned on Charity. Not that it had been obvious before, she was just trying to find it from herself. Charity liked Will, more than she was supposed to. When she left her home in Idris, she vowed to herself that she wasn't going to get mixed up in love because she wanted to focus on becoming the best shadowhunter she possibly could. But yet, here she was pining over Will and becoming jealous that Will had saved some poor girl from the clutches of evil women. She was supposed to be proud that a fellow shadowhunter went to such lengths to make sure humans were safe. But no, she wasn't. She was jealous and she had no reason to be. It wasn't like her and William were seeing each other. She didn't even know if he looked at her in that sort of way.

"Well, it's nice to have met you, Tessa. I look forward to seeing you more often." Charity smiled weakly at her then walked back to her chair. Grabbing her book, she walked to the exit of the library. So many thoughts were going through her mind and for the time being, she just wanted to be alone to figure some things out. She needed to get back on track and stop thinking about Will.

She didn't even understand why she liked him. Maybe it was the whole 'bad boy persona' he tried to play. Or maybe just his exceedingly good looks. His charms? Whatever it was it needed to go away and fast. There was no way she could fully concentrate on making herself a better shadowhunter if Will Herondale was invading her thoughts.

As she headed back to her room for some solitude, she saw Will leaning against her door. Jem was just on the other side of him. Will turned his head toward Charity and smirked. "You want to go with me and Jem?"

"Where exactly?" Charity stopped in front of the boys and tilted her head to the side. Will had that look in his eye, that she'd come to know. She just knew he was up to something. Probably a hunt.

Jem was the one who spoke up next, making sure Will didn't get the chance to answer. "Well, Will, here, wants to flush out a group f vampires. I guess they've been hunting pretty close to here and Will knows where they are hiding."

Charity's eyes widened. She turned from Jem to Will, concern written all over her face. "And how do you know where they are?"

"I have my ways." Will pushed himself off the wall and looked down at Charity, his arms folded across his chest.

"You mean you have your girls." Charity smirked up at him before pushing past him and walking into her bedroom. Jem and Will followed behind her, Jem closing the door.

"Come on, Cherry. Come with us. You'll get training out of it." She sighed heavily and turned to look at Will. He was right. This was a good training experience even if they weren't completely allowed to do it. She folded her arms over her chest and thought for a moment. Her better senses were telling her to stay at the Institute and ask Henry or Charlotte for some more training. But her more primal instincts were telling her to go with Jem and Will and take care of some supernatural scum.

"All right, fine." Will's eyes beamed at her, as did Jem's. Will lightly took her by the arm and led her out of the room, with Jem holding onto her other arm. If she had been someone else, looking at the way that Jem and Will dragged her off, she would have laughed. The both of them were so eager and excited, like children in a candy shop.

Will, Jem and Charity made it out of the Institute with no problem. The only ones they passed on the way out were Jessamine and Sophie. Jessamine was discussing something with Sophie, some about her clothes it sounded like. Jessamine obviously couldn't be bothered going out at a time like this.

Once they were outside of the protective walls of the Institute, Charity stuck close by Jem and Will. It was rather late out, way too late for a lady to be walking the streets, unless she wanted someone to pay her for her services. Not to mention, Charity still wasn't accustomed to London. She knew a few places that Will and Jem went to quite a bit, and a store that Jessamine had successfully dragged her to one day, but that was about it. London at night was almost like a completely different world.

Will told her that he would use a 'glamour' to conceal them from prying eyes, which made her breathe a little easier. He also explained the plan to her. Apparently, a group of vampires were going to be meeting at a small get together in the woods, not far from where Jem liked to spend some time to himself.

Charity bit her bottom lip nervously. "How many vampires?"

"Three, actually. One for each of us." Will turned to her and smirked. The number made her stomach turn. Of course, she had brought a blade with her and she knew how to fight but she didn't think she was ready to just fight vampires for the hell of it. Will told her that he would have her back, along with Jem, if she really needed the assistance. Jem turned to Charity and told her that Charlotte had been boasting about her, telling everyone what a fast learner she was. The comments made her cheeks flush. Sure, she was fast learner and maybe she was even good at fighting, but that was an instructor. Someone who wasn't even a supernatural. Someone that really wasn't going to cause her any harm.

In the midst of her thoughts, they had arrived at their destination. Will watched as some of the vampires spoke to one another. They were pretty well concealed. Not just with the glamour but with the branches and leaves that nature provided them. Charity watched the scene before her, the knot in her stomach becoming bigger and tighter. Will looked like he was ready to pounce out at any moment and started killing everyone there. She did have to give him some credit, he was correct about the number of vampires. There were only 3. No humans were around. From what Charity could hear, they were making plans for going into the city and taking some humans as subjugates.

Will was itching to grab his blade and attack, Charity could see it in his movements. Jem was a bit calmer, waiting for the right opportunity to attack. Unexpectedly, as they sat there and watched, a fourth vampire appeared, making Charity's heart beat faster. Will looked at Jem for a second then looked at Charity. He put his lips to her ear. "I'll take two of them. You just focus on one of them. Jem will handle the other."

The fourth vampire had with him a young woman. She was nervous and shaking like a leaf. "Please," she said desperately. Will clenched his hand around his blade. He wanted to strike right then at the moment, but he knew he had to hold back. Charity placed a hand onto his knee to try and calm him down. He looked at her with a weak smile then turned to Jem and nodded.

It all happened so fast. Will and Jem jumped out of the hiding spot, leaving Charity confused for a second or so. Will got to the first vampire with no problem, as did Jem. Charity went for a smaller female vampire. She bore her teeth as Charity threateningly. Charity knew she couldn't turn and run. Shadowhunters didn't do that, they fought to the death. Charity slashed her knife at the vampire and surprisingly she took a few steps back.

Charity felt like she was moving in slow motion. Like the entire scene was in slow motion. Will slashed his knife at the tallest vampire's neck. His head rolled off his shoulders. If Charity's adrenaline wasn't rushing, she'd be completely grossed out by such images but her fighting instinct had kicked in. Nothing fazed her. Jem followed Will's actions but beheading another vampire a few seconds later. The female vampire that Charity was dealing with was close to death. In all the chaos, Charity had somehow gotten her onto the ground. Charity's blade gleamed in her hand she was brought it down, piercing the vampire's neck. She screamed out loud and began to thrash about, but Charity wasn't finished with her just yet. Charity pulled at the knife, elongating the cut in the female's neck, her head rolled to the side a second later. She wasn't fully beheaded but it was enough to kill her.

Charity stood up, Will and Jem watched her with appreciation. "Wow, I wasn't expecting you to become such a savage, Cherry."

She smiled at him and let out a laugh. "Shut up, William."

In a millisecond, Will's face went from happy to shock as the fourth vampire reappeared and plowed into Charity. Charity hit the ground hard and before she could turn over, the vampire jumped on her back, his sharp fangs bared. If the shadowhunters were going to take his midnight snack, he would just have to make a snack out of one of them. And what could be better than the smallest of the bunch?

Before Jem had time to react, Will had already begun to run to Charity's aid. He jumped onto the male vampires back, causing him to fall sideways. Jem rushed over to Charity and pulled her off to the side. Charity sat awkwardly on the ground, her back pressed against Jem. Her breathing was fast and heavy. Jem spoke softly in her ear, telling her she was all right and to calm down. She wasn't worried about herself though, she was frantic over Will. He was currently attached to the vampire's back, looking for an opportunity to kill him. That's when he did it. He did the unthinkable. Charity had never in her life seen anything so idiotic and reckless. Will bit hard into the vampire. He flailed and threw Will off him. Jem jumped up and went to finish him off, as Charity quickly crawled over to Will. He groaned in pain.

There was blood all over his mouth. He looked like he had just munched on a human being. Charity placed a hand over her mouth and shook her head. "Will…"

Jem had finished with the blood-sucking spawn and quickly rejoined Charity at Will's side. "We have to get him back to the Institute. Looks like he's ingested some of that blood."

XoXoX

Back at the Institute, Will had gone up to the attic to try and rid himself of the vampire blood that was coursing through his system. Sophie had gone up to bring him the holy water. As she did, Jem and Charity waited at the bottom of the stairs. Charity paced back and forth. She had never been so nervous. Jem had an amused look on his face as he watched Charity pacing. "He'll be fine Charity, I promise. This isn't the first time he's done something like this."

She didn't care. She continued to pace until Sophie came down the stairs with a scowl on her face. "He won't take the pail from me. Actually, he threw it at me."

Charity frowned a little. Seemed to her like he was all right, if he was throwing pails that is. Charity reached out her hand and took the empty pail from Sophie. "I'll take him up another one."

Sophie gave her a surprised look then pursed her lips together. "Well be careful. He's being a git at the moment."

Jem just laughed. Charity filled up the pail and took it upstairs. She pushed opened the attic door and stepped inside. Will had his arm thrown over his face. The floor was soaked with holy water and his clothes stuck to him. His black hair was pasted to his face. He didn't look as well as Charity had hoped. She opened her mouth to speak but Will beat her to it. "Leave the pail, Sophie and leave me the hell alone."

"It's not Sophie. It's me." Will removed his arm from his face and looked up at Charity.

"Oh. Well….just leave it there. I'll get to it." He closed his eyes and put his arm back over his face.

Charity cocked her head to the side and glared down at him. "Will, take it now. I want to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to do."

Will kept his arm in placed and gave a cheeky smile. "And what if I don't? What if I want to be a vampire? Drink blood and all that nonsense?"

Charity stomped over to him and knelt down onto the ground. She took his arm forcibly and tossed it to the side. Taken by surprise, he opened his eyes to find that the pail was tipping down onto his face. She was going to make him take his medicine whether he liked it or not. The water dumped onto him. He jerked upright and went into a coughing fit. "Are you mad woman? Trying to drown me with holy water!"

"Oh shut up. Just drink it so you can get better."

Will glared at her, pushing the, now empty, pail aside. "Why do you even care?"

"Why do I even care? Why do I even care?" What a question to ask. Charity's voice rose and for the first time since moving her, she was actually screaming at Will. She stood up and glared down at him. Her finger pointed at him threateningly. "You just bit a vampire to save me and I'm not supposed to care what happens to you afterwards? There are a lot of things you still don't know about me Will and one of them happens to be that I can't get my mind off of you!"

She didn't want that to come out, but she couldn't help herself. Will stared up at her in shock then grinned. She could already tell he was going to have some smart ass remark. He opened his mouth to say something but Charity quickly stopped him with a comment of her own. "Don't you dare say anything that's going to make me slap you in the face, because I will….Will!"

His grin just seemed to grow even bigger, which just infuriated her more. He wondered how long she'd been keeping that in. True, she was only here for a little over three months and nothing had really changed. He tried to get to know her better but it was rather difficult. She didn't like hearing about his late night adventures. She didn't care to know that he was drunk off his ass. He just figured she didn't want anything to do with him unless she was forced to deal with him, like when they had to train together. Even then, most of the time, she just told him she'd wait for Jem. Actually, Will had thought that she liked Jem. Liked Jem in the way that she liked him. "Charity…"

Her arms were folded across her chest and her eyes like daggers ready to strike him. "What?"

He patted the wet floor next to him. His voice was soft and soothing. "Come here. Sit with me."

"No. You need more holy water…" Her voice was a lot softer now. She wanted to stay mad at him but it was so difficult. His eyes stared in hers, making her almost go weak at the knees. She turned and left the room quickly, taking the pail with her. Will stared at the door for a second then laid back down onto the floor.

Charity had come back up a few minutes later with another pail. She walked over to him and gently set it down on the floor next to him. He removed his arm once again and stared up at her. Her eyes, like living emeralds, looked down at him. "Please drink it."

Will propped himself up, never taking his eyes off Charity and took the pail. He tipped it towards his lips, taking in a few mouthfuls. The rest of the water, he dumped it over himself. Charity waited for some of the water to move down the boards of the floor before she sat down. It was damp and cold. Will turned to look at her. She wanted to give him a smile but she just couldn't muster up. The only thing she could do was take her hand and gently move a few strands of hair out of his face. Her hand rested on his cheek and she stared into his dark blue eyes. He brought his hand up and placed it over hers. "Oh, Will you're burning up."

"That's what happens when you ingest vampire blood."

Charity smiled weakly. "Well I know that. I just wish you hadn't done that. It was foolish."

Will shrugged. "He was going to hurt you. I had no choice."

Will removed her hand from his face and held it in his before bringing it to his lips. Gently, he brushed his lips against the back of her hand then finally pressed them to it. His eyes lingered on hers and for once he caught her blushing. It made him smirk again. Damn, he was good. Maybe too good. He took his hand and placed it onto the back of her neck and drew her closer to him. His lips pressed hotly against hers. He snaked his other arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. She placed her hands onto his chest and could feel his hard, smooth muscles underneath his shirt.

Will's hand on her back traveled up slowly, moving into her hair. He pulled at the jeweled clasp that held her hair up and let her curls spill down to her shoulders. Before he could go any farther than that, Charity pressed against his chest hard and pushed back, breaking the kiss. She still sat in his lap and he looked at her with confusion. For a second, he thought it was mistake and went back in to kiss her but Charity held a hand up to her lips. From behind her hand, she said, "Not like this…"

Will smiled weakly, but she knew he was more than disappointed. "Fair enough."

Charity removed herself from his lap and walked out of the attic. She needed to change, needed to cleanse her mind. Will sat there and frowned. He would have to go and speak to her later, apologize for the actions he just engaged in.


End file.
